Italian Food and Flavours

Cossignano Medieval Sagra

Cossignano Medieval Sagra

Over the weekend the ancient, cobbled streets of Cossignano and the pretty piazza with its clocktower, played host to a medieval style festival. Many of the villagers proudly take on their roles as trumpeters, drummers, monks, medieval lords and ladies and parade through the narrow streets up to the piazza , overlooked by Fabio’s ristorante. The onlookers crowd round and peer through high windows to watch the flag throwers perform, then the fire eaters and re enacted scenes from old village life. The atmosphere is convivial and although there are some tourists I have the feeling that the locals are revelling in the tradition of coming together to celebrate ancient traditions, eat, drink and be merry with each other and the onlookers in modern dress are merely a by product.

Sagre are happening all over Le Marche throughout the summer. In fact we are now approaching full sagra season and posters are everywhere advertising them in almost every village, town and borgo. They were originally a religious honouring of the villages patron saint but are now mostly centred around a particular food of the region or town – food is maybe also sacred to the Italians so it seems to make sense to be centred around a particular dish. Now most of these street festivals happen in the summer when the communities enjoy eating simple dishes, cucina povera style, at communal outdoor tables and supping the local wine. All generations will be out until the early hours. In Cossignano we ate polenta, farro soup, pork skewers with apple all washed down with a local Pecorino white wine. Unpretentious food and the sort of dishes eaten by the villagers throughout time. No burgers and hot dogs for them although you can always get a carton of fries!

The evening is completed by trapeze artists performing a gravity defying dance high up in the air against the old clock tower. Then a short pause before the blast and smoke of fireworks fill the midnight sky! Magical!